The present invention relates generally to children""s ride-on vehicles, and more particularly to children""s ride-on vehicles having an electronic speed controller.
Children""s ride-on vehicles are reduced-scale vehicles that are designed for use by children. For example, children""s ride-on vehicles include a seat adapted to accommodate one or more children and steering and drive assemblies that are adapted to be operated by a child sitting on the seat. One type of drive assembly that is often used in children""s ride-on vehicles includes a battery-powered motor assembly that is adapted to drive one or more of the vehicle""s wheels. Typically, the vehicle will include an actuator, such as a foot pedal or other user input device, which enables a child to select when power is delivered to the motor assembly. Some drive assemblies further include other user input devices, such as a speed selector and a direction selector, which are operated by a child sitting on the vehicle""s seat to select the speed and direction at which the vehicle travels.
It is possible for a children""s ride-on vehicle to tip or be damaged when the vehicle experiences sudden changes in speed, and especially when this change in acceleration is accompanied by a change in direction. Under a rapid change in speed or direction, the inertial forces of the vehicle have to be overcome. These forces may cause the vehicle to tip, especially if the vehicle is on an uneven surface, such as an incline. The vehicle""s drive assembly bears much of the burden of overcoming the inertial forces, and therefore these forces can damage the components of the drive assembly. The vehicle""s body also bears some of the inertial forces, and therefore it too may be damaged during sudden changes in speed and direction. If these forces are significant enough, they may render a portion of the vehicle inoperational, thereby requiring repair or replacement of the vehicle. Even if immediate damage does not occur, repeated application of these forces may cause wearing and or deformation of the vehicle""s body or drive assembly, which over time may also render the vehicle inoperational. The likelihood of damage to the vehicle increases as the size of the vehicles increases, as the vehicles are designed to move faster, and as the weight carried by the vehicles increases.
The present invention is directed to a children""s ride-on vehicle having an electronic speed controller. The vehicle includes a body with a seat sized to accommodate at least one child, a steering mechanism positioned for operation by a child sitting on the seat to steer at least one of the vehicle""s wheels, and a drive assembly with an actuator in the form of a user input device positioned for actuation by a child sitting on the seat to cause the driven rotation of at least one of the vehicle""s wheels. The drive assembly includes a motor assembly and a battery assembly, which is adapted to provide power to the motor assembly. In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes one or more additional user input devices that enable a child sitting on the seat to select at least one of the relative speed and direction of the vehicle, namely by controlling the direction and speed of rotation of the vehicle""s driven wheel or wheels. The drive assembly also includes an electronic speed controller that controls electronically the transmission of a rotational input from the motor assembly to the vehicle""s driven wheel or wheels responsive at least in part to one or more user inputs selecting the rotational input. Nonexclusive examples of the control, or regulation, provided by the electronic speed controller include interjecting at least one of a predetermined delay, period of braking, or a controlled ramp, or rate, of transmission of the selected rotational input.